You Don’t Have to Live It to Learn It
Did you know some of the most important lessons you will ever learn already happened to somebody else? God didn’t give us the Bible just to inform us—He gave it to transform us. One of the things I love about the Word of God is that it just tells you like it is. It gives you the good, the bad, and the ugly so you can learn from it.
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; . . . Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1 Corinthians 10:6–7 and 11, emphasis added
These things were written for our learning. They are examples. I can’t overstate how important it is for you to learn from other people’s lives at their expense, not yours.
Most people think of David as the man after God’s own heart—and he was (Acts 13:22). But the Bible never just shows you the highlight reel. It shows everything—his worship and his weakness, his courage and his compromise, his victories and his failures.
I’ve learned some lessons from David that have literally transformed my life. I didn’t need to commit adultery to understand the damage it does. I didn’t need to cover up sin to learn the heavy consequences it brings. I learned it from David. And I also learned from his victories—his courage against Goliath, his heart for worship, and his dependence on God when everything else was shaking.
The Trap of People-Pleasing
Before you can really understand David, you have to understand Saul. Saul was Israel’s first king, handpicked by God. On the outside, he had everything going for him—tall, impressive, exactly what people expected a king to look like. But on the inside, he was controlled by something very dangerous: the opinions of people.
When he was chosen to be king, he hid because he was overwhelmed by what everyone might think about him—and that was the root of his problem. Because when you live for approval, you will eventually stop obeying God in order to protect your image.
Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man bringeth a snare.” It doesn’t just influence you—it traps you.
Even when Saul was anointed, that insecurity didn’t disappear. It just waited for pressure. And that pressure came at Gilgal (1 Samuel 13). The Philistines outnumbered Saul’s army. The men were scattering, fear was rising, and Samuel didn’t arrive when Saul expected him. So Saul was faced with a decision: wait on God or take control himself. He chose to act.
He offered the sacrifice himself, something he was never supposed to do, and he knew it. When Samuel showed up, Saul tried to blame the circumstances and the pressure, but there’s never a good excuse for disobeying God. That moment didn’t just expose Saul’s mistake—it redirected the future of Israel. That’s huge.
And this is where it gets very practical. Life will pressure you. Circumstances will argue with you. Fear will try to talk you out of obedience. But obedience to God isn’t based on convenience, outcome, or risk. It’s based on trust. Most people decide obedience based on consequences, but real obedience is settled before the pressure comes.
You need to ask yourself if you’re going to learn from David and from Saul. The fear of man will trap you, and pressure will expose you. So you just need to obey God and leave the results up to Him. That alone will save you years of frustration.
If this teaching has encouraged you in your walk with God, please visit my website at awmi.net for additional free teachings and resources. If you need prayer, I encourage you to call my Helpline at 719-635-1111, where one of my trained prayer ministers would love to pray with you.
We love you,
Andrew and Jamie Wommack
